From a $2.20 bubble rush. Limited sample of hands on villain so no real information.

PokerStars - 200/400 Ante 40 NL - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (UTG+1): 62.14 BB
MP: 42.12 BB (VPIP: 33.33, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 10)
MP+1: 53.08 BB (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 8.33, 3Bet Preflop: 11.76, Hands: 24)
CO: 25.57 BB (VPIP: 19.05, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 21)
BTN: 22.71 BB (VPIP: 25.00, PFR: 25.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 4)
SB: 12.76 BB (VPIP: 6.67, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 15)
BB: 25 BB
UTG: 44.95 BB (VPIP: 12.50, PFR: 12.50, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 24)

8 players post ante of 0.1 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.3 BB) Hero has Q Q

fold, Hero raises to 2.3 BB, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, BB calls 1.3 BB

Flop: (5.91 BB, 2 players) A T 3
BB bets 5.91 BB, Hero???

Not used to seeing a pot-sized donkbet and villain's stack size makes this spot pretty awkward. Do you call here to see what he does on the turn?

Hmmm. Every statistic shows that donk bets lose EV, both when for value and when for bluffing.

The question is, which one is this?

Board is wet, we only block AQ and QT, along with gut-shot combos of Qx.

If villain is drawing to spades, this is the absolute dumbest way to play that draw.

Since the bet is, itself dumb, we have to consider what level of stupidity we are facing here.

My vote is a scared Ax, played by a scared player who has a button labeled "pot size bet" and clicked.

Either way, I would just fold right there, since the level of stupidity in the hand will only get worse, and the reason it is called a "donk bet" is that it is made by donkeys and lets us out of the hand for cheap.



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This reeks of a draw to me. I call flop and reassess on the turn.

Call the flop.

I figured this was either Ax or a spade draw, which puts a fair number of combos on both sides. But the size threw me for a loop. Donkbets are usually small. So can we interpret anything from that info combined with his stack size? Or is it best to call regardless and make the decision on the turn?

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Due to effective stacks, donker will be all in on the turn, almost surely. Once we call the flop donk we are stuck, unless the turn completes the draw and then we have to fold. So, we either lose to Ax, lose to draw, or make a questionable pot size call on the turn and pray.

On this board we get to exploit and fold the flop.

Flatting a donk bet on the flop has to be questionable EV versus raising or folding. Honestly I would be happier putting donker all in on the flop. Folding or jamming should make +EV versus calling.

When we call the donk we are capped and if donker was deeper he could blow us out of the hand on a later street (more reason this is not a draw).


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good fold, he committed their stack in the others streets anyways. he uses the stop and go, so i put him in Ax. that type of players uses min donk bets for draws i think.

I didn't fold, I called the flop bet and then the turn shove

Dont spoil it quite yet, lets get a few more responses. Where is ArtyMcFly?

That flop bet is just so freekin weird. How often does this happen on Stars? Hope its not the new meta.


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Can't remember the last time I faced a pot-sized donkbet. Although I did face a handful of smaller donkbets during that session and wondered if there is a new epidemic of donking.


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His range doesn't have too much Ax so this is probably a spade draw or a ten with backdoors. Call flop reasses later.

I would def call at least one here

turn action?

For the people who advise to call flop and reevaluate OTT.

Do you realize that after a flop call, we're commited to the pot ?!?!?

3 x 5.91 =17.73 BBs pot

V's stack: 25 - 1.3 -5.91 = 17.79 BBs

It's pretty obvious. So we have to decide OTF and stick to our decision, no matter what the turn would be.

In this case, I fold OTF. You have a nice stack of 60 BB if you fold. IMO just let your 2.3 BBs go... there are so many EV+ spot in these small stakes tournament.

Maybe it's a new concept imported from Winamax... genius french player

This was precisely my concern. The hand is much easier to play with 60bb effective stacks. So I tend to agree that the flop is where the decision has to be made.

As I said before, I called and villain shoved the turn. I felt stuck so I called the turn too. Villain had A-rag.

While donkbets are typically either a draw or weak top pair, the strong betting pattern in this case makes a draw less likely.

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Instead of thinking about the bet and considering what villain has, I want to for a moment think about it a different way.

If villain has an ace in this spot, what are some typical lines they take? How often are they going for a check/raise, and how often are they betting? If they have an A, it seems the wetness of the board might motivate them to bet on the flop.

Agreed, but I already detailed my thoughts on villain earlier ITT.

This is a classic leveling situation since the bet itself is out of balance and is exploitable...


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I think this is exactly right. I doubt the villain thought about anything beyond, "I have top pair but the board is scary, I should bet to protect my hand." And then clicked pot, followed by all-in on the turn. Meanwhile I got hung up on the size of the bet.

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Call flop for sure. Unless he has a monster he's most likely checking turn and river. If he fires out another big bet on turn then give up.